Audience Research BriefJuly 2017

6 Yia Klas 1

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The Vanuatu Ministry of Education launched "6 Yia Klas 1" campaign in July 2016 to promote primary school enrolment at the right age.

Enrolment data over the past three years (2012-15) indicated that only a third of the children were enrolled in year one of primary school at the recommended age of six years. Evidence from research strongly suggests that overage enrolment can result in high levels of repetition and attrition and can impact children’s ability to develop basic reading, writing and numeracy skills1. The Ministry is currently implementing a number of initiatives to improve the quality and inclusiveness of learning in the early years (K-3) and this campaign was designed to support those initiatives.

The primary target audience for the campaign were parents with young children (less than eight years). However, the campaign also considered the influence of community leaders, community members and children on parents to make decisions about school enrolment. The campaign outputs included TV and radio advertisements (5 creative executions) and campaign promotional materials including t-shirts, caps, posters and flags used at the community outreach events. The five different creative outputs featured community leaders, teachers, children, parents and a call to action for school enrolment at age six. The campaign outputs were distributed through television, radio, social media, and mobile text messages. Distribution channels included TV Vanuatu, Radio Vanuatu, Paradise FM, FM 107, the Facebook group Yumi Tok Tok Stret and Digicel (mobile text messages).

To understand the effectiveness and impact of "6 Yia Klas 1" campaign, mixed method research was conducted. The research was implemented in three locations – Efate (Shefa province), Ambae (Penama province) and Malekula (Malampa province). All fieldwork was completed in June 2017.

Quantitative surveys were administered with parents, and in-depth interviews were implemented with key stakeholders including community chiefs, church leaders, school principals and school improvement officers (SIOs). Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders.

This audience briefing highlights the key findings from the research. A full report can be accessed by contacting ABCID.

6 Yia Klas 1

38% exposed (n=116 had seen or heard the campaign)

62% unexposed (n=186 had not seen or heard the campaign before)

302 parents were surveyed

1 Glewwe & Kremer (2006) Schools, Teachers, And Education Outcomes In Developing Countries in eds Eric A. Hanushek and Finis Welch Handbook of the Economics of Education, Volume 2 2006

Pikinini kat raet long statemskul nomata long disabiliti

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ReachThe campaign reached 38.4% of the primary target audience who had seen or heard the campaign (n=116). There was a high level of spontaneous recall among those who were exposed to the campaign; 83.6% remembering the campaign (n=97) without any stimulant/aids or reminder from the interviewer.

Campaign exposure was consistent across the three locations surveyed, with 37% of Efate respondents having seen or heard the campaign, compared to 43% in Malekula and 39% in Ambae. Women were much more likely than men to be familiar with the campaign2. Of the 157 women who completed the survey, almost half of the women (45%) responded they had seen or heard the campaign, compared to a third of the 145 male-respondents (31%).

EffectivenessIn terms of effectiveness of media in reaching target audiences, community events were most effective with 26% of those surveyed reporting this as the primary source of campaign information. There were gender differences in sources of campaign information.

Women were much more likely to have heard about "6 Yia Klas 1" through social networks such as their school, an outreach event, or through family members or other parents. Men however were more likely to have heard the campaign through the media such as Radio Vanuatu, with information from school only being listed by 18% of men, and information from family members or teachers only a small percentage (9%).

Campaign reach, effectiveness and impact

Men % of male respondents

Ranking

Ranking

Women % of female respondents

Base: Those who have seen/heard the campaign n=116, Women n=71, Men n=45

Ranking of sources of campaign information

2Although women were more likely than men to be familiar with the campaign, there were no statistical differences in how either group responded to the survey questions.

1 School 25%

2 6 Yia Klas 1 23% community event 3 Family/household 23% member

4 Another parent 13% or another family

5 Radio Vanuatu 11%

1 6 Yia Klas 1 32% community event

2 Radio Vanuatu 30% 3 School 18%

4 Teacher 9%

5 Family/household 9% member

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Another measure of effectiveness was whether those exposed to the campaign were willing to talk about it with others. Among those exposed to the campaign, 78% had discussed campaign information with family, friends, other parents and community members.

ImpactThe impact of the campaign can be understood through a number of measures including perceptions of information quality among the target audience and its influence on their intended enrolment behaviours.

The majority of the respondents who were exposed to the campaign viewed it positively:

95% of the respondents felt the campaign provided them with new information (n=110)

96% of the respondents felt the campaign informed/will inform their decision (n=111)

96% of the respondents felt the campaign information was trustworthy (n=111)

The campaign objective was to promote primary school enrolment at the right age and inform parental decision around school enrolment.

There was a significant relationship3 between parental knowledge of the right age to enrol and what age they said they would enrol their child. This means there is a strong link between a respondent’s knowledge and how they intend to act.

Did you talk about “6 Yia Klas 1” with others?

(multiple responses possible)

Men & Women

3 N=300, p<.001

Answer options Percentage Number of respondents

Yes - Family 62.1% 72 and friends

Yes - Other parents 38.8% 45

Yes - Other 40.5% 47 community members

No 21.6% 25

Don't know 0% 0

116

Base: Those who have seen/ heard the campaign n=116

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81%

of those who said the campaign informed/will inform their decision making, think that age six is the right age to enrol their child in year one. (n=90)

These results reinforce sentiments expressed by respondents that people need to receive the right information through campaigns such as the "6 Yia Klas 1" campaign.

In other words, both quantitative and qualitative research responses suggest that people will act based on their knowledge, and so what someone thinks is the right age of enrolment for children strongly indicates what age they would enrol their child at.

[Campaign] hemi tajem fulap laef blong ol yangfala couples, from campaign hemi helpem olgeta bigwan blong save wan gud disesen blong fiuja blong pikinini blong olgeta.

The [campaign] has touched many lives of young couples, because it’s helped them a lot in making good decisions for the future of their children.

Stakeholder interview

“ “

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Gender & disability inclusionRespondents were asked about school starting ages for boys and girls separately to assess any gender differences. Ages were largely consistent with those reported in the combined results to the question “At what age would you enrol your child in class one in primary school?” 64% of respondents reported six years as the right age to enrol their child in primary school. They also believed six years to be the right age of enrolment for boys (59%) and girls (63%).

However, only a third of parents thought children with a disability should start school at the age of six. Just over a third (36%) suggested children with a disability should start school at a slightly older age of seven or eight years, whereas 11% suggested that children with a disability should not start school before they were nine or 10. Thirteen percent (37 people) said that children with a disability should never start school, but in returning to the survey questionnaires all 37 had provided an answer explaining that they did not know what age is appropriate, or that it depends on the disability. None of the 37 respondents who had selected “Never”, expressed that children with a disability should not go to school in their follow-up comments. Furthermore, many of these respondents reported that disability could be a barrier to attending school but it would depend on the type and severity of the disability.

Base: Boys n=301, Girls n=300, Disability n=279

Depend long olgeta spos hemia we i save samting i save go long school long early age olsem nara normal pikinini.

It depends on the child, if they can learn they could go to school at an early age like other children.

Stakeholder interview

“ “

Six as the right age of enrolment in Klas 1 in primary school

Girls63% Boys

59%Children with

disability30%

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Learnings and recommendations for future campaigns

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This section highlights the key learnings from campaign delivery and additional recommendations from the research that focussed on future campaigns:

The "6 Yia Klas 1" campaign was effective at communicating its core message to its intended audience. The campaign results reinforce the importance that people need to receive the right information through campaigns such as the "6 Yia Klas 1" campaign. In other words, people will act based on their knowledge, and so what someone thinks is the right age of enrolment for children strongly indicates what age they would enrol their child.

The most effective medium for campaign messaging was through face-to-face discussions, presentations and existing social networks which were supplemented by the media campaign. Radio Vanuatu was the most effective broadcast medium for reaching parents (particularly men) among the target audience.

Mobile phones dominate the media platforms followed by newspaper and radio among the survey respondents across the three locations.

The media channels that were most commonly accessed by survey respondents were Daily Post newspaper (31%), CShare mobile phone app (30%), Radio Vanuatu (27%) and Facebook (25%) (n=302). These media platforms may be considered for future campaigns as effective media channels.

There were some comments about the unintended consequences of the campaign, such as pressure on class resources, exclusion of some children who were older than six years, and potential exclusion of children whose parents did not have access to birth certificates.

The most frequently accessed sources of information for survey respondents were community/ social networks – notably church pastors, friends, chiefs and community announcements. Eighty-one percent of parents said that they had communicated with their church pastor or church elder within the past 7 days (30% had spoken to the pastor within the past 24 hours) (n=302).

Future campaigns need to further advocate parent’s responsibilities and engagement with their children’s education as a high priority. There may also be a need to prioritize communication of the new policy of teaching early childhood classes in vernacular language, to raise awareness and gain support for the change in language policy.

Base: n=302

ABCID would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Vanuatu Education Support Program (VESP) and Development Services Vanuatu, particularly Pierre Doan Tagaro, Libby Hegerty, Jennifer Kausei, Ty Morrissey, Kylie Mullins, Jeffry Pakoa, Davis Kalangis, Jayline Malverus, Grayleen Lapi and Edward Hyatt, for their efforts conducting this research and their contribution to the authorship of this report. Their ongoing expertise and inputs during the process were pivotal to the design and completion of this study. This Audience Research Brief has benefitted from the advice of ABCID’s Vipul Khosla, Sam Freeman, Jessica List and Angela Davis. Finally, we would like to thank the Vanuatu Ministry of Education and Training who contributed their time and efforts to the campaign and this impact assessment providing their valuable insights. Any opinions represented in this report are those of the authors and research participants and do not reflect the views of ABCID or the VESP development partners (Vanuatu, Australia and New Zealand).Images for the report were supplied by VESP.